Hospital bedside unit



HOSPITAL BEDSIDE UNIT lFiled April lO, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 4,1933. J. FEHL. ET A1.

HOSPITAL BEDSIDE UNIT Filed April l0, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INMENTORS,

BV @wl/M ATTORNEY Jlllyi?, 1933. I FEHL ET AL 1,916,832

' HOSPITAL BEDSIDE UNIT Filed April l0, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVNTORS/Mwu/ ATTORNEY Patented July 4, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE JOHNFEHL .AND ALVA. BELCI-IER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY HOSPITAL BEDSIDEUNT Application led. April 10,

This invention relates to an improved hospital bedside unit.

In hospitals it is desirable to provide certain essentials for the careand comfort of a patient as well as for the use of the doctors andnurses, for instance: A dressing table for the convenience of the doctorand to support water pitcher, glasses, sputum cup and medicine for thepatient, feeding trays or tables, costumers or rods clamped to the bedfor the purpose of supporting a clysis bottle, a Murphy-drip container,an enema case, douche bag, or other irrigation device, alsoprovision-must be made for the care of the patients clothing and toiletnecessities. All these separate articles tend to clutter up the wards,the table often must be cleared for the doctor, feeding trays arefrequently difficult fory the patient to eat from due to his or hercondition, and the use of a costumer or clothes tree is highlyunsatisfactory, while the lack of provision for thepersonal belongingsof the patient near him is undesirable. wWhere the present clothes treeis used for irrigation purposes the tree is usually placed at the footof the bed'in a direct line with the patients vision, thereby causinghim nervousness and annoyance; vThe container cannot be raised orlowered to another hook without removing from the hook which it is oncausing the clysis needles or enema tubes to slip from their positionscausing pain and discomfort to the patient. Only a few trees are kept ina ward as they are unsightly in appearance, collect dust and dirt, takeup much needed space.

make shift is used such as fastening to the framework of a bedsidescreen. The rods that are clamped to the beds are also unsatisfactory asthese are alsok in the line of the Vand a source of annoyance for theyare easily upset, and a ar of the table often slides Sometimes in caseofv vemergency a tree is not available and some 1931. Serial No.529,024.

the cup beyond the patients reach. As the sputum is sometimes desiredfor microscopical examination it is also essential that in such cases itbe preserved.

It is desirable to keep the personal belongl ings of the patient nearhim for his greater peace of mind and comfort and this is impossible inmost wards unless cabinets of some kind are provided.

The customary feeding trays are not satisfactory nor are the travellingtables on wheels as the patient has difficulty in *comfortably usingeither of them.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a bedside unit whichprovides a table, a surgical dressing table and convalescent feedingtray, bedside table and reading rack, clysis rod, sputum cup and holder,compartments for personal belongings, drawer and rack for papers andmagazines combined in a single bedside unit which is compact and neat inappearance. A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a bedsideunit carrying a bedside table which is collapsible when not in use andadjustable for use to fit the requirements and comfort of the patientand which can be used as a reading rack, feeding table, etc. Stillanother object of the invention is the provision of a sanitary containerfor the personal effects of the patient. Other objects are an improvedclysis rod in conjunction with a bedside unit, provision fora sputum cupcontainer available to the patient but removed from the table. Otherobjects will appear more fully hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a bedside unit embodying theprinciples of our invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the right side of Figure 1. Y Y

Figure 3 is a view in rear elevation.

Figure 4 is a partial plan view showing the bedside table extended foruse.

Figure 5 is a partial view in side elevation showing the bedside tableextended for use and its adjustability for different heights.

Figure 6 is a partial view in side elevation showing the bedside tabletop extended and elevated for use as a reading rack.

Figure 7 is a4 sectional view of Figure 6 along the line 7, 7, lookingin the direction of the arrows.

In carrying out our invention we provide a bedside unit 1 having a flattop preferably of rubber 2, supported by oontainer preferably made ofmetal, below top 2, within con` tainer 3, we provide a drawer 4 andthereunder a slide 5. AA compartment 6 is below slide and is closed bydoor 7, having latch 8, an open end compartment 9 is below container 3and is secured thereto. Legs 10 support vcontainer 3 and are providedwith casters 11, which are connected to legs 10 by toggle brakes 12which vcan be engaged and disengaged with the foot. On one side weprovide brackets 13, 14, 15,16, having circular holes therethrough forrods 17, 18. A manually operated set screw 13 is carried by bracket 13to bear against rod 17 to secure it in any desired position as to heightwith respect to the bracket 13. ARod 17 is a part of an M frame 19composed of rods 17, 21, 23, joined at top and bottom as shown while rod18 is a part of a corresponding M frame 20 composed of rods 18, 22, 24.Bedside feeding table iscarried by frame 2G which latter has lugs 27',28, sliding between rods 22, 2-land 21,23. Rod 47 joining rods 23, 24,re-

f Atains frame 26 upright when'table'is not in use and forming a supportwhen the table is raised and Vswung through an yangle of 900 toi thehorizontal, lugs 27, 28, bearing against the topjunctions of rods 21, 23and 22,` 24. A latch 29 holds top 25 to frame 26011 one side,

topV 25 being'pivotally connectedat31 to frame 26V on the other side.Top 25 has an upturnedside 30;v When it is desired to use the feedingtableas a reading rack', latch 29 is unfastened and table top 25 israised-as shown in Figures 6 and 7. A piv'oted U support32 droppinginto-the desired notches 33 of cross frame supports 34, 35. Table 25 isagain made available vfor useas a table by raising it slightly andpushing U support 32 out of notches 33 and allowing top 25 to drop intothe horizontal when latch 29 again snaps top 25 to frame26. The Vheightof table 25 can be adjusted by raising the rods 17, 18,in their bracketsto the Vdesired heightl manually tightening set screw 1'3". Top 25 whenno longer desired for use lifted by handle 3G secured to frame 26 to thevertical andallowed to slide down between rods 47,47, until lugs 27, 28,rest at the bottom junctions of'rods 21, 23',v 22, 24. A rack 3.7.issecured to rods 21,23, 22, 24. y

The rear of ther unit has bracket 38 for sputum cup container 39, hook40` for the wash basin, towel rod 41wash cloth rod 42, soap and toiletarticles compartment 43.

te preferably construct the unit 1 of metal and the supporting legs ,10are hollow, such construction enables us to utilize one of the legs as asheath `for the extensible clysis rod 44, which consists'of two or moresections 44', 44". Section 44 is a hollow cylinder having a collar 45and set screw 46 and section 44 is asolid rod terminating in a hingedend portion 49 adapted to be swung to the horizontal to support an enemadouche bag oi' other irrigation container. A set screw 48 is adaptedtosecure sections'44 at any.v height with respect to leg 10. The set'screw arrangement also permits of rotation of rod 44 by loosening setscrew 46 andthen tightening. i

Slide 5vcan be used as a convalescent table or for the convenience ofthe physician or nurse in making dressings.

Compartment 6 is available for the patients clothing whilecompartment9'is adapted for use for the patients slippers and shoes removing themfrom the Hoor.

The rubber top 2 is particularly desirable as it is sanitary, can bewashed, disinfected, reduces noise in the ward, prevents breakage ofglassware. The sputum cup is removed from the top and yet is readilyavailable to the'patient. The toilet requisites are all on the rear outof sight and yet readily available. rThe mounting of the unit on casterstogether with its lightness makes it easily moved about by handles 50while its sturdy construction together lwith the toggle 'brakes permitsof a patient resting his weight safely thereon.

It will thus be seen that wehave provided a compact bedside hospitalunit of neat appearance that is sanitary and supplied in a single unit anoiseless top table, a. bedside feeding table and reading ack, asurgical dressing table, a clysis rod, clothing compartment, a drawerfora. patients personal belongings, a magazine and paper rack, a slippercompartment, a toilet articles compartment and. other conveniences forthe patient,doctor and nurse.

yllliatlwe claim is: Y

1. A bedside unit, a bedside feeding table carried by said unit, saidybedsidefeeding table comprising a flat top, a frame supporting saidtop, said frame carrying lugs,A said lugs adapted to slide in slots ofsupporting rods, support-ing rods mounted onsaid unit, cross barsconnecting said supporting rods at the top to retain said top and framevertical and cooperating'with said lugsl and supporting rods to maintainsaid top and frame in horizontal position when saidtop and frame arevertically raised to their limiting position and lowered to thehorizontal.

2. A bedside unit, a bedside feeding table carried by said unit, vsaidbedside feeding table comprising a. Hat top, a frame supporting saidtop, said Vframe carrying lugs, said lugs adapted to slidein slotsofsupporting rods, said supporting rods mounted onsaid unit, cross barsconnecting said supporting frames at the top to retain said top andlframe vertical and cooperating With said lugs and said* supporting rodsat any desired elevation.

supporting rods to maintain said top and frame in horizontal positionWhen said top and frame are vertically raised to their limiting positionand lowered to the horizontal, said supporting rods adjustable as toheight in said mountings and means for securing Signed at Jersey City,in the county of i Hudson and State of New Jersey this 1st day of AprilA. D. 1931.

ALVA BELCHER. JOHN FEHL.

